FIA to take McLaren to task over Hamilton cheating episode on April 29

London, Apr.8 (ANI): The FIA World Motorsport Council has asked representatives of McLaren to appear before it in Paris on April 29 to answer charges relating to being in breach of the International Sporting Code.

The summons follows Lewis Hamilton's exclusion from the Australian grand prix for giving "misleading" evidence to race stewards.

According to The Guardian, McLaren are accused of being in specific breach of Article 151c of the sporting code, relating to "any fraudulent conduct or any act prejudicial to the interests of any competition or to the interests of motor sport generally".

According to an FIA statement, McLaren are to answer charges that they:

On 29 March 2009, told the stewards of the Australian grand prix that no instructions were given to Hamilton in car No1 to allow (Jarno) Trulli in car No9 to pass when both cars were behind the safety car, knowing this statement to be untrue.

Procured its driver, Hamilton, the current world champion, to support and confirm this untrue statement to the stewards.

Although knowing that, as a direct result of their untrue statement to the stewards another driver and a rival team had been unfairly penalised, made no attempt to rectify the situation either by contacting the FIA or otherwise.

On 2 April 2009, at a second hearing before the stewards of the Australian grand prix (meeting in Malaysia), made no attempt to correct the untrue statement of 29 March but, on the contrary, continued to maintain the statement was true, despite being allowed to listen to a recording of the team instructing Hamilton to let Trulli past and despite being given more than one opportunity to correct the false statement.

On 2 April 2009, at the second stewards' hearing, procured their driver Hamilton to continue to assert the truth of the false statement given to the stewards on 29 March, while knowing what he was saying to the stewards was not true.

In a statement issued by McLaren, and in a further attempt to try to appease the WMSC, the team have confirmed they have sacked Dave Ryan, their former sporting director. Ryan was suspended on Friday after the storm surrounding the case blew up before Sunday's Malaysian grand prix.

The new charges mark the third time McLaren have been hauled before the WMSC in less than two years. (ANI)